Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has renewed the public health emergency for another 90 days, effective Jan. 16, 2022. The move extends current PHE waivers. It no longer impacts the implementation of OASIS-E. After a delay, CMS now expects providers to begin using the new assessment tool in January 2023. See the renewal […]
With the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated guidance for isolation and quarantine for healthcare workers on Dec. 23, 2021. The move decreases isolation time after infection with COVID-19. Additionally, CDC is releasing an update to guidance for contingency and crisis […]
Workers who contract COVID-19 can be protected from discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to new Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance, issued on December 14, 2021. Depending on each worker’s circumstances, the virus can cause afflictions that meet one of the ADA’s three definitions for a “disability,” which cover (1) actual, […]
People with Medicare should get a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, says CMS officials in a news release Dec. 2, 2021. CMS noted it is sending a letter to Medicare beneficiaries encouraging them to get a booster shot as soon as possible. They’re also rolling out reminders through advertising campaigns and telephone and email […]
A Louisiana federal district court has issued a nationwide injunction barring the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. How We Got Here On Monday, November 29, a federal judge in Missouri enjoined the CMS from enforcing the vaccine mandate. The court, however, limited the injunction’s […]
A CMS mandate on COVID-19 vaccines has been put on hold in 10 states by a federal judge Monday, Nov. 29, 2021. The vaccine requirement for employees at certified Medicare and Medicaid providers was introduced in early November, with two deadlines: By Dec. 6, 2021, employees should have had their first shot or single shot […]
Work now to record and review staff vaccination status and implement and update polices around vaccine requirements to prepare for a CMS deadline of Jan. 4, 2022, to have all eligible employees fully vaccinated. Keep in mind that there is no testing option under this rule. COVID-19 vaccines will be mandatory for the vast majority […]
Over the pandemic, nursing home surveys fell behind because COVID-19 restrictions, creating a backlog for survey agencies (SAs). CMS is taking the following steps which will allow SAs to focus their efforts on identifying concerns for all aspects of quality of care, quality of life, and ensuring health and safety, as outlined in their guidance: […]
CMS will now pay for the administration of booster shots for all three of the COVID-19 vaccines after FDA and CDC approval for Moderna and J&J vaccines last week, including an additional payment for administering the vaccine in the patient’s home. Boosters of the Moderna and J&J vaccines will be covered from Oct. 20, 2021. […]
Living through a pandemic has taught us many things, chief among them being that just when you think you’ve adapted to a new normal, it’s already changed. Viruses evolve, as do our responses. Today, we have a better understanding of how the virus spreads and vaccines that are effective and readily available. But we’re also […]